Automobile door lock release



W 9 M. H. mwm

AUTOMOBILE DOOR LOCK RELEASE Filed Nov. 16, 1938 atented Apr. 8, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 5 Claims.

y invention relates to an automobile door lock release.

The purpose of the invention is to enable the car user, upon unlocking one door from the outside with a key, and opening this door, to release the interiorly operated lock on an opposite door without moving from his location at the first named door.

Either objects will appear from the following description or an illustrative embodiment.

By permitting the interiorly operated lock of such opposite door to be released and this door opened from the outside of the motor vehicle, my invention avoids much or the gymnastics, bother, and dress-disarray attendant upon the user's stretching or dragging himself or herself across the entire length of the seat behind and past the steering wheel, and perhaps past the gear and brake levers.

In the drawing,

Fig. l is a side view:

Fig. 2 is a transverse section; and

Figs, 3 and 4 are detail sections of a preferable and illustrative embodiment.

In the drawing, I0 is a keyhole in a closed" automobile for insertion 01' a key to unlock door iii. llxpbsed upon opening door l2 and located for convenient access, as for example in the frame of door l2, preferably above the ,door I2, is a recess i4 containing an operating lever it for the remote control means for releasing a lock in a second door to be described. It will be seen that recess is exposed only when door i2 is opened. A stop I! limits the movement of this lever to keep it always in its recess I so as not to interfere with the door beneath. i 8 is a flexible hollow cable, and 20 is a wire running in this cable. Wire 20 is secured to lever i6. Cable I8 is anchored at one end preferably to the wall of recess it, and runs across the inside of the top of the car, being concealed by the fabric or other ceiling material, and is anchored at its other end to the wall of a downwardly opening recess 22 in the frame for door 24 which is opposite to door it. A lock donated in the door 2! and is provided withe 'sual means for release from the interior of the car, and this lock is not adapted to be unlocked from the outside with a key.

Lever 261s provided in recess 22, with the wire it secured to one end, this wire serving to pull the opposite end of lever 26 down when lever I8 is manually pushed up. Spring 28 keeps lever 26 normally retracted within recess 22 over door 20. The doors i2 and 24 are preferably those located at opposite ends of the front or drivers seat, with the steering wheel adjacent to this seat. The look (not shown) for door 24 is equipped with release means of known type adapted and arranged to be released by downward movement of rod Ill in door 24, so that the lock may always be operated by the usual interior handle, and also operated by an exterior handle except when locked. Rod 20 is normally elevated by spring 32 sothat the shoulder it limits the upward movement of rod 30 to a position in which its upper end extends within a recess 36 provided in said door 24, When door 24 is closed, these two recesses 22 and 35 are in register. 1

My improved control mechanism may be applied to practically any car door handle mechanism which has an interior element for rendering said handle selectively operable or inoperable for opening the door. The embodiment illustrated in my drawing and detailed in the specification is suited to be applied directly to known prior art door handle mechanisms, as for example those shown in U. 8. Patent 1,237,103 to Schoell and U. S. Patent 1,541,312 to Archer et al.

In the case of the Schoeil construction, my rod 30, located inside the car door, would abut directly against Schoell's deadlocking lever 23, located inside the car door, which would be pushed down when my rod 30 is pushed down, leaving the bolt free to be retracted by the outside handle.

In the case of the Archer et al. construction, my red 30, located inside the car door, would abut directly against Archer's arm p, located inside the car door, which would be pushed down when my rod on is pushed down, leaving the bolt free to be retracted by the outside handle so the door may be opened from the outside.

It will be understood or course that these prior art constructions are mentioned merely by way of illustrative examples of mechanisms for ren dering car door handles selectively operative or inoperative for opening the car door, to which the control device of my invention may be directly applied. Obviously my control device could be applied to many other car door handle mechanisms as well, either directly as in these instances. or with such mechanical expedients as might be required for adaptation in any particular case.

When, all the doors of the car having been closed and locked, door i2 is unlocked and opened and lever l8 exposed, and the latter is manually operated, lever 26 is pulled by the wire 20 and its opposite end depressed into recess 38. The rod 30 is thereby pushed down against spring 32 and releases the lock in door 2i. The lock construction isnot shown since applicant has no invention in lock construction per se.

Upon releasing lever It, all the parts return automatically to their positions as shown in full lines in the drawing, and no interference arises with the ordinary functions of closing and opening and locking and unlocking the doors in the usual manner.

I claim:

1. Remote control means for a door latch mechanism which has internal means adapted to be positioned for rendering the outside handle of the latch mechanism selectively operable or inoperable, by local control means on the inner side of a door on one side of a vehicle, said remote control means comprising a manually manipulable member adjacent a second door on the opposite side of the vehicle, said manually manipulable member being rendered inaccessible from the exterior of the vehicle when said second door a is closed, and accessible when said second door is open, and means operatively connected with said manually manipulable member for transmitting movement therefrom to the said internal means of the latch mechanism, for moving same, when so positioned as to render said handle inoperative, to position whereby said handle is rendered operative.

2. Device of claim 1 in-which the manually manipulable member is located within the edge oi the car frame adjacent the second door.

3. Device of claim 1 in which the means operatively connecting the manually manipulable member at the second door and the internal latch control means at the first door comprises movement transmitting means within the first door, extending to an edge thereof, operatively connected with said internal means for rendering operable the outside handle for said door, and movement transmitting means extending across the car body inside the top of the car terminating at one end at said manually manipulable member and terminating at the other end adjacent said movement transmitting means within the first door.

4. Device of claim 1 in which the means operatively connecting the manually manipulable member at the second door and the internal latch control means at the first door comprises movement transmitting means within the first door terminating at an edge thereof and operatively connected with said internal means for rendering operable the outside handle for said door, and movement transmitting means extending across the car body inside the top of the car terminating at one end at said manually manipulable member and terminating at the other end adjacent said movement transmitting means within the first door, spring means normally holding the terminus of said movement transmitting means which extends across the car body inside the top of the car within the car body framework adjacent saidfirst door yet resiliently allowing same to be projected out to within said first door, said projectible terminus being located opposite, and for moving when projected, the means in the first door for operating said means for rendering the outside handle operative, and the other terminus of said movement transmitting means which extends across the car body inside the top of the car being operatively connected with said manually manipulable member adjacent the second door.

5. Remote control means for a door latch mechanism which has internal means for rendering the outside handle of the latch mechanism selectively operable or inoperable by local control means on the inner side of a door on one side of a vehicle, said remote control means comprising a bell crank adjacent a second door on the opposite side of the vehicle having a portion exposed for manual pushing when the door is open, a cable attached to the other end of said bell crank whereby to be pulled when the exposed end is pushed, said cable extending across the car inside its top and connected at its other end to one end of a second bell crank located adjacent the edge of the first door, movement transmitting means within the first door operatively connected with said internal means of the door latch mechanism, and adapted when pushed to move said internal means, when it has been set in position wherein the outside handle is inoperative, to position wherein the outside handle is operative, the second end of the said second bell crank being located opposite said movement transmitting means for operatively engaging same when projected.

HERBERT H. DYKE. 

